The Sheep with Many Bruises
by rachel.24.107
Summary: Bella is caught in a situation that she must escape. Even if it means giving up her life..or the life of someone else. This story contains abuse.
1. Chapter 1

My name is Isabella Marie Swan, and because of misfortune this is now my life. I moved to the dreary town of Forks, Washington to live with my dad, Charlie. He works for a firm in California and is only home a few times a year. At first, life in Forks was great; I made a couple of close friends, Alice and Rose, and we did just about everything together.

But it was sophomore year when all of my problems began. I knew Alice and her sister Rose didn't have the greatest family situation, and I could feel the hesitation and sadness in their eyes when I would ask, so I avoided those questions at all cost.

_FLASH-BACK_

"Hey Bella", Alice greeted one morning.

"Morning Alice, Rose called last night and said your brother wanted to me" Her face dropped as I said this.

"Um, oh, well I hadn't realized he was home yet. Well if that's what she said, uh 5:00?"

"That's good, Charlie left again last night, so I clear for a few weeks."

"Oh, ok." She said the words as if hearing for first time that someone had just died. Before I had turned to leave, I noticed Alice had a single tear running down her face.

Then had finally said, "I'm so sorry, Bella, I truly am. I didn't think they would……" She was speaking quickly and quietly, barely speaking the words themselves. "I mean, I didn't think they would find out, or Rose tell them. How could she do that?"

I left worrying about that conversation that had just taken place. What was she apologizing for? I would love to meet the older who was kind enough to take his younger sisters in after the death of their parents. What could possibly be so horrible?

I was soon to find out.



That night was the night which the ole small, quiet, reserved Bella Swan was brought to a disruptive halt. James, Alice's and Rose's half brother, was apart of a gang in LaPush; he claimed me from the moment he saw me. I was forced to accompany him many times a week at an illegal strip club where I was shoved off as his girlfriend and was continually beaten and raped by James, as well as, the other members of his gang. I was obliged to live the type of lifestyle that no one would feel comfortable living.

Through the experience things had only gotten worse. Alice and Rose had been a huge comfort when this fiasco had first begun. Both girls had stayed and cried with me when he or his boys had done anything. But over the passage of time, I had slowly become an entirely different person, one who was scared, alone, vulnerable, but hard.

After being tied and beaten the first night, I had a strong hatred for Rose. I hated her for telling James about me and for allowing him to do as he wished to me like I was nothing more than a child's toy. But through the week, I began to understand; she told him for her own survival, for the one night away from pain. Rose showed me a new outlook on life.


	2. Chapter 2

Before James, I had been sweet and caring, never know to put myself before another. Now all of my decisions based on survival.

'Isabella, dearest", James's deathly sweet voice pulled me away from my thoughts and back to the reality. My current problem, a young girl who had beaten to unconsciousness last night, was now life.

"Yes James, I am here" I replied in a low voice, afraid of what might happen next.

"I have a little proposition for you" The glint in his cold, blue eyes sent shivers down my spine. "You see, Babe, the club is loosing more money than it's making night now, so I need you to let go one of the girls. This is where you come in; tell me who to kill and you can have a week off." He said off-handedly.

With a deep breath, I applied what Rosalie had taught me. One man for himself, _survival of the fittest_. "Anna. I heard she may have broken her leg; she'd be out for a long time anyway." And with that he roughly patted my face.

"Thanks, Babe." Then he left. Just like that. I have no hope.

~*~

After my time off, I found myself staying nearer to James. Bad-mouthing every other girl in the club. Even deceiving Alice and Rosalie from time to time. Now, standing next to him and his crew, I had front row seats to everything that happened. They he was, beating on a poor innocent young girl no older than a freshman in high school. I felt almost nothing as she screamed and pleaded to be let go. I could tell James was getting annoyed with her. I wanted to tell her to stop, that it would only make things worse; but I knew that would only harm myself. James yelled for some of his men to help him out with the child. The three men held her there. She looked hurt and pained but more else frightened. They grabbed her and yanked her to her feet then swung her around to face the wall. James then pulled his hand gun out. What was going on? What was he doing? He couldn't possibly, not with me here. But as fast as she was there she was gone. Her life had been taken by a monster. As they left the room, and left her there, I made a choice. A decision. To get out.

I didn't know how I was going to do it. I have seen many try and fail, not one succeed to leave his possession. But that will all change. I will find a way to. I can't live like this. None of those girls can.

I can't trust anyone. I have turned my back on them, and likewise have they. Every man was apart of his crew. Every woman apart of his game. I was neither. I was apart of a plan. The question was, _**How?**_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: sorry it's so short, and took me so long to update. i just wanted to get this out there for you. =) hope u enjoy**

The trickling of the rain intensified as I groggily forced myself out of this daze. My eyes were slowing beginning to open to a small white room with one window and a hospital curtain.

Could I be in the hospital? What happened to me?

I lay motionless in motionless. I can't move.

I try to move my legs, yet they stay still. I try to speak, but I cannot vocalize. I was unsure of myself and my body at this point. My mind and body were at complete disconnect. I can't speak, can't move; I can only move my eyes. When I do, I realize I am not in the basement of the club. I'm not on the street. I'm not anywhere familiar. I'm lying in this white room, which is very small. But the curtain shields half the room. I look out the window to see the rain pouring excessively. I hear it pour onto the roof. It's the only sound there is. It takes over me as if coming directly from head. There's thunder. I feel the pain rushed throughout my body. Now I realize why I cannot move. I must have broken every bone in my body. I feel paralyzed. The rain is peaceful though, hearing it seems to calm me.

Okay, where am I?

I'm can feel my self becoming frightened.

What happened?

The last thing I remember is trying to sleep to get away from the tortures of James after he killed the newest, and weakest, of the girls. But now I'm here. And the beating or my heart pounds in my ears. I can't breathe, I can't think straight.

What happened?

There's a beeping noise. Very annoying.

Had it been there the whole time?

It's beeping faster. Maybe it's a bomb. Maybe I will die. The thought of the sweet release of death relaxes me. The beeping has also slowed.

A monitor? But this is no hospital bed.

I try to examine the room more thoroughly. My hands are cuffed to the bars of the bed. There are no pictures on the walls. And the walls are not just white, they are tinted gray, making it seem dirty and darker. The blanket that lay on me is blue and knit. This room definitely doesn't scream 'hospital'.  
There's a shadow behind the curtain. My heart rate accelerates. He stops, must have heard the beeping speed up. Oh, my God.

Is it James? Why wouldn't he just kill me?

He walked out.

Why would he leave? I'm scared. I'm helpless and vulnerable. He practically preys on this type.

I try to find it in me to move my arm, but with no success. I try for smaller. Just move my fingers. I can only move a few, but with more and more practice I'm finally able to move them along with my wrist. I tilt my head to the side to lean on the bed. I take this opportunity to take in the rest of my surroundings. Behind the curtain is a small sink, a door, and a chair. It's starting to seem more a like a hospital bed, but from this end of the room it was far from. My whole upper body seems to be doing better, which means I'm finally able to move my arms. So I prop my head up and grab my right leg and swing it off the bed. I grab hold of the railing on the bed as to not fall off. My leg is still numb and I can't fully put all of my body weight on it just yet, but I must get out of here. I swing my other leg off the bed and stagger beyond the curtain.

As I make my way to the door, I see some of my things on the chair. Clothes I hadn't seen in weeks, or weeks before the accident, had been folded and now rest beneath a cell phone and a make-up bag. I don't take too long to examine the items before snatching them into a weak hold and staggering over to the door.


End file.
